This invention relates generally to hair curling devices and, more particularly, is directed to a convertible hair curler.
Cylindrically shaped hair curlers or rollers for curling and styling hair are well-known. Generally, tresses of hair are rolled about the cylindrically shaped hair rollers in order to achieve a desired appearance when the rollers are removed. In order to expedite the hair rolling process, heated hair rollers of the aforementioned type have been used. For example, it is well-known to store pre-formed cylindrical hair rollers in a container which also includes heating elements therein for heating up the rollers. In such case the heating elements transfer heat to the rollers which store the heat. Examples of such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,462 and are also sold by Conair Corporation, 11 Executive Avenue, Edison N.J. 08817 under the trademark "Hot Sticks".
However, because of the combined volume of the pre-formed hair rollers, the heater elements and the container, the entire product becomes extremely bulky. As a result, such product occupies a great amount of bathroom or other counter space and is extremely inconvenient for traveling.
A hair roller is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,285,795 to Stein which discloses a hair roller formed of two semi-cylindrical arcuate strips that are heat sealed together at their opposing longitudinal edges. The inside surface is coated with a heat generating chemical. When a hair tress has been wrapped around the roller, it is moistened and such moistening causes the heat generating chemical to generate heat sufficient to cause expansion of the roller which causes tightening of the wrapped tress thereabout. Such Patent also discloses Christmas balls formed by two circular flat sheets having their edges sealed together. When subjected to heat, the flat sheets expand to form a spherical Christmas ball. However, once the Christmas ball is expanded, it cannot be re-flattened.
Another hair roller is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,370 to Haas. However, this hair roller is a conventional hair roller and is pre-formed in the cylindrical configuration and maintained in such configuration. A hair curling apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,430 to Downey.